Farmington, NM – Detectives with the Farmington Police Department are seeking information about a cold case homicide that took place nearly eight and a half years ago. On October 21, 2009 around 12:54 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area west of the Auburn Trailer Park located at 951 N. Auburn, in reference to a found body. Officers responded to the area and discovered a partially submerged adult male in the shallow brook west of the park. The male victim was quickly identified by family members who were on scene as 37-year-old Nathaniel Robert Morgan. The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator ruled Morgan’s manner of death as a homicide. It was apparent that he’d been involved in some type of physical altercation prior to his death.

Nathaniel Morgan

The last time Morgan was seen alive was the afternoon of October 20, 2009 when he was sitting on a lawn chair drinking by the stream with an unknown friend. The friend was described as a male, 25-to-35 years of age, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and 170 pounds with a shaved head. Witnesses met with a forensic artist within days and a composite sketch was drawn and released to the media. The sketch generated numerous tips, which detectives followed up on. However, all leads were exhausted.

Farmington detectives are asking anyone with information about the altercation that occurred with Mr. Morgan or who recognize the composite sketch to call Detective Heather Chavez at 566-2370 or non-emergency dispatch at 334-6622. Anonymous tips may be submitted to San Juan County Crime Stoppers at 334-TIPS.